The Pearl Harbour star has proved himself as a director with the critically-acclaimed Gone Baby Gone and The Town, and now Warner Bros has apparently handed The Stand project to him, Deadline reports.

The post-apocalyptic horror novel, which has previously been adapted into a mini-series, tells the story of most of the world's population being killed off by a virus, leaving a mixed-up group of survivors desperately trying to get by in the harsh world that remains. They must also fight off a group of troublemakers led by the evil Randall Flagg.

According to the blog, King was sceptical about whether his story will translate well to the big screen, but Warner Bros thinks Ben is the man for the job.